The Last Oracle
Page 24
“Paolo, huh?” she asked.
“It’ll be fine,” Alex said as he guided her into the house and away from Paolo’s watchful eyes.
∞
Knowing that Paolo would be able to see them leaving, they decided to wait until his lights went out. It was after three a.m. when Alex and Valeria loaded into the Porsche and pulled out of the driveway with Caleb. Mani would meet them at the airport in Rome. Reaching the road, Alex turned on his lights and drew a deep breath. He wasn’t certain what he expected, Kristiana and Jeremiah standing outside the house with hatchets? He laughed and shook his head.
“What?” Valeria asked, smiling and hoping there was some news that would lighten both of their moods.
“Oh, nothing. I guess I’ve been expecting the goblins and gremlins to be hiding behind every corner and I just realized how ridiculous that was.” They both laughed—although she could sense something was not quite right. She decided it was the eerie moonlight on the country road. Still, it had felt good to laugh, even if there were goblins and gremlins waiting for them. Then she reminded herself that it would only be five hours until it would be daylight and they would be in a major city, boarding a flight with Mani and Caleb.
Alex contemplated his feelings about Kristiana. He hadn’t yet been able to accept that she was the one causing so much of the pain in their lives. Yes, she had a temper. But accepting that she would murder him—or Valeria—was too much. It meant that he had brought the danger into their lives by the choices he’d made, and that was simply too much to accept.
They drove down the dark roads of eastern Italy and Valeria was exhausted—again. She realized that it must be the pregnancy making her want to sleep all the time. She glanced at Alex and saw that he looked tired as well. Perhaps driving five hours tonight wasn’t the best move. Valeria rubbed Alex’s shoulder and he leaned into her hand.
“Hmm—that feels good,” he said.
“Let me know if you need me to drive,” Valeria said. “You look like you need sleep more than I do.”
Caleb leaned forward. “I’ll drive! I’m not tired.”
Valeria and Alex gave Caleb a smile. “Thanks buddy, but I think the authorities would have a problem with that,” Alex said, and then glanced at Valeria. “Why don’t you try to rest? When you wake, if you feel up to it, you can drive,” he suggested.
“I will,” she said as she closed her eyes and leaned her seat back just a bit. They were only a few miles down the road when Valeria put her hand to her forehead and moaned softly.
“Val? What’s the matter?”
“I can’t believe it—I haven’t had one of these since I was a kid,” she said. “The doctor told me it was somehow associated with a migraine.”
“You have a migraine?” Alex said with sudden concern, and she could hear the terror behind his words. He shuddered as he remembered Mani’s report of how she had died in 1907, as if she had been struck by an electrical charge in her brain.
“No.” Feeling his tension, she patted his arm. “Really, it’s nothing—I had these all the time when I was a kid.” She closed her eyes. “It’s like a circular flickering of light in one of my eyes—like a kaleidoscope.”
The news hit Alex with a jolt—she was experiencing the same phenomena as he did during his visions! He slowed the car and stared at her. From his rear-view mirror, he noticed something. “What is that?” he asked.
Over the gently rolling hills, perhaps a mile behind them, he could see a car that appeared to be flashing its brights on and off.
“Maybe it’s the cops in a high-speed chase! Can we follow them?” Caleb asked excitedly as he watched the lights appear and disappear over the rolling hills, quickly gaining on them.
Valeria put her face in her hands and, within a few minutes, she lifted her head, now deathly alert.
“Alex? I…”
Alex looked alarmed, “Are you all right?”
“No…no, I’m not. We’re not okay,”
“Val?” Alex asked, starting to panic.
She brushed her hand over her forehead.
“Do you need me to stop? Are you sick?” he asked.
Valeria looked around. “Alex, I think we’re going to be in a car accident in a few minutes.” She adjusted her seatbelt. “Caleb is your seatbelt fastened?
“Yeah,” he said.
“Did you have a vision?”
“I think so. Oh no!” she said, glancing at the curve ahead of them. “It’s not far now.”
“Is it the driver behind us? Should I pull over?”
“No, he’s coming for…” She let out a cry. “He’s going to hurt her.”
“No one is going to hurt my family! Tell me what to do? Turn around? Pull over? What, Val?”
“I think it will be very bad if you stop and he’s too close to turn around,” she said, as she drew a deep breath. “He’s around this bend.”
Valeria put her hand on Alex’s arm. “It isn’t Paolo’s fault—don’t be angry with him. We’ll need his help.”
“Tell me what’s going to happen,” he said, and then his voice choked. “Please don’t leave me, Val?”
“We’ll be all right as long as...”
They saw the car behind them was only a few blocks back, and now they could hear the horn honking as well. It disappeared behind a hill. Ahead was a bend in the road, and a car was parked with its headlights on. Suddenly, the car roared to life and squealed out just as Alex’s phone began to ring.
“It’s Daph,” Valeria said without looking.
And then the car that had been parked gunned its engine and turned directly toward them. Alex swerved hard to the left to miss it, but the other car echoed Alex’s moves and caught the front right fender as Alex’s front left wheel hit the dirt shoulder, barely missing the steep edge of an embankment before they skidded to a stop.
It was silent for a moment and Alex asked, “Val? Caleb? Are you...”
Suddenly, the other car backed up. Alex glanced out his window at the four-foot drop, as the other car seemed to be positioning itself for a direct hit on the front passenger door. Alex stepped on the gas and turned the wheel as the headlights aimed for Valeria. But the wheels on the Porsche just spun.
“Come on! Move!” Alex commanded but he couldn’t get any traction. Valeria stared into the headlights, now inches from her, and closed her eyes. Just before the other car’s headlights disappeared into Valeria’s door, their car inched forward grudgingly. There was a gnarling of metal and a tinkle of glass, and then they heard the low aching of unsupported metal as the front tires lost hold of the shoulder and the car began to roll. The other car took advantage of the situation and slammed into it one more time, this time driving the Porsche into a slow roll down the embankment. All that could be heard was the thud of bodies and suitcases being thrown about and the tinkling of glass as it clinked throughout the car.
Valeria felt her head hit several places. The air bags deployed and, finally, the car lodged upside down. Except for a hissing from the Porsche, there was nothing but silence. She could see lights outside the car, and if she could have focused, she might have feared another attack. Then she saw a smaller light moving toward them. She heard a pop and then felt a pop near her face as her airbag deflated.
“Val! Val! Are you alright?” Alex asked terrified.
She heard a click, and then a thud, and worried that the car would start rolling again. She felt confused and something ached—maybe a few things ached.
She wanted to know that Alex and Caleb were all right but she couldn’t seem to speak without a sharp pain in her side.
“I think…I think I busted my shoulder,” Caleb said, and then Valeria heard another clink of a seatbelt and a thud in the back seat. She heard Caleb howling, “Owww! Ouch! Ouch!”
Valeria thought she heard voices. Was it her father? No, she remembered, he had been gone a long time. Someone was swearing in Italian at another man who was sobbing. She couldn’t quite put it all together. He
r head was spinning and the darkness wasn’t helping. She couldn’t focus on anything.
“Alex?” she moaned.
“Val! Val!” his voice sounded frantic. She felt something warm and wet dripping on her.
“Alex?” She didn’t seem to be able to say anything else. She heard several voices that she knew she should recognize.
“We must get Valeria out of here!” the man with the Italian accent said—the one who had been cursing. It was a familiar voice to her. She knew that she should know whose voice it was.
Then she realized why she knew it. “Paolo,” she said, and then cringed when she spoke his name aloud.
“Yes, bella, I am here. I am going to help you.”
She wanted to say, I want Alex to help me, but she didn’t seem to be able to speak.
A minute later, she saw lights moving and heard Mani’s voice.
“I’m okay, Mani,” Caleb said, almost crying. “I think Val’s hurt bad.”
Then she heard movement and saw lights on her, and then heard the gasps. She shut her eyes.
“I’ll need two sets of hands...Doc?” Alex’s voice seemed to be near her, above her—or was it beneath her? The back door opened.
“Give me your good hand, Caleb,” Daphne said.
“Bella, I am here,” Paolo said.
Valeria felt Alex’s hand on her face. “We’re going to get you out of here, love.” She tried to nod but nothing seemed to move as it should. “All right, Paolo, let’s make a cradle so that we are head to head and then we can release the seatbelt. I’ll support her and you release the seatbelt. Then you can take her shoulders and pull her out.” Alex paused. “Let me see the flashlight.”
Valeria moaned and grabbed her stomach.
“It’s all right, beautiful, we’ll have you out of here in a minute,” he said and suddenly a light was moving over her. She could smell gasoline. “Wait! I think her leg may be pinned.” There was movement and she felt Alex’s hands on her ankle. It felt strange and then she felt a sharp pain that ran from her ankle to her knee and she cried out, feeling suddenly faint. “I’m sorry, love! I’m sorry! But we have to get you out of here!”
“Caleb?” she whimpered.
“He’s…he’s okay. He’s out with Doc,” Alex said.
“Okay, Paolo, ready? On three—one, two...three.” They lifted her at the hips and then she fell into soft arms. Immediately, there were sharp pains all over her body that she couldn’t quite identify. She didn’t want to let out a cry but it escaped anyway.
“It’s all right, love, I have you now. I have you,” Alex said over and over.
They started moving her again and she wanted them to wait—she didn’t want to hurt again. But they kept going, and then she saw lights shining in her face and felt her head spin, and everything went black.
A few minutes later, Valeria woke in Alex’s arms. There were bright lights all around them and she realized they were from the headlights of the cars that surrounded them. She brushed Alex’s face and he suppressed a sob. He was badly bruised and cut.
“Are you,” she whispered.
“I’m okay,” he said.
“Caleb?” she whispered.
“Caleb’s going to be fine. He dislocated his arm but it’s probably already healed. It’s not the first time.” She felt him draw several long breaths. “I…Val, I need to lay you down so that Doc can take a look at you.”
She shook her head in protest and then another car pulled up.
“Where is she?” Camille demanded.
She could hear Ava and Lars both barking orders and she could still hear the unknown man sobbing.
“Let’s lay her down on the blanket,” Ava said.
“I’m sorry, but this is going to be uncomfortable,” Alex said, and she could tell it hurt him more than her. Still, the pain was excruciating; black spots flooded her vision and she felt nauseous.
Mani was looking down at Valeria as Alex sat by her side and Paolo was by her feet.
“May I have some room?” Mani asked Paolo.
“Of course,” he said, and hurried out of the way.
“Valeria, I’m going to wrap your leg.”
A plump man who Valeria had never seen was still sobbing and speaking in Italian to anyone who would listen. Daphne seemed to be comforting him. Valeria wondered who the man was. Even Lars patted the man on the back, but couldn’t seem to look him in the eye.
Her head was still swimming. Mani’s face moved toward hers and became distorted. He backed up until she was able to focus on him.
“Valeria, you must listen to me. Stay alert. You must stay alert.” She just wanted to close her eyes and sleep; then she saw Alex’s face looking so distraught and, suddenly, she was terrified. What was wrong with her that her first thoughts were of herself and everyone else except the one being who truly mattered.
“The baby?” she heard herself ask. She saw Alex choke and she reached for him, but that hurt too.
“Bella, please tell me you are alright?” Paolo said, as he moved in next to her where Mani had been.
As if for the first time, Alex realized that Paolo was there. He felt the anger well inside of him and felt a nearly uncontrollable rage building. He rose and grabbed Paolo by the back of the shirt, dragging him away from Valeria. Paolo struggled to get back to his feet.
“You! Get the hell out of here. Just get the hell out of here! Haven’t you done enough—”
Camille interrupted, “No, Alex! Paolo warned us.”
Paolo spoke to Alex as if the last exchange hadn’t happened. “I have a helicopter that will transport her to a hospital. I must stay with her.”
Alex shook his head. “My wife doesn’t want you near her—and neither do I!”
“Alex…I went to sleep tonight and had a vision of this wreck; I had a vision of the fire as well.”
“Don’t bullshit me—you’re no oracle!”
“No, Alex. I am not. There is only one explanation.” Paolo gave Alex a knowing look. “You know…you know Kristiana’s…skills,” he managed to say.
“Go on,” Alex said grudgingly.
“Kristiana once spoke of an ability to transfer the will of one to another via the eyes.”
“What are you saying?”
“She wishes to harm Valeria—or you, by harming Valeria,” Paolo said. “I am certain of it now.”
“Your revelation is about a year too late, pal,”
“The helicopter is coming. Alex, I must ask you to allow me to accompany Valeria.”
“In your dreams!” Alex screamed, as the hum of the helicopter grew louder.
Paolo grabbed Alex’s arm, and Alex swung at him in an effort to get free, but Paolo pulled him into a hug.
“My friend, my brother, I swear to you—on Valeria’s life—that I am here to help and I will never again do anything to harm you or your wife!” Paolo’s voice was in pain. “Please, allow me to help.”
Alex pulled free and then, hesitantly, he shrugged. He didn’t want to forgive Paolo. Alex desperately wanted someone to blame…someone other than himself, for bringing Kristiana into their lives.
“Alex, I speak the truth. You must believe me.”
Closing his eyes, Alex concentrated on calming his breathing...and his rage. Then, without meeting Paolo’s eyes, he nodded and returned to his wife as Mani tended to her injuries. Alex kissed her forehead. “You’re going to be alright, Val. We have a helicopter that’s going to transport you to a hospital.”
“No—we should go to Morgana,” Mani said.
The wind picked up as the helicopter landed, obscuring all other sound. The medics rushed to Valeria and checked her vitals. Alex put his hand on the medics arm.
“She’s…she’s pregnant,” he choked.
Mani introduced himself and told them that he was her doctor. They rolled her onto a stretcher and, this time, Valeria’s cries were silenced by the volume of the whir of the chopper. Mani walked with her as Alex and Paolo followed.
Paolo stared at Alex for a moment, and then said, “I am her husband.” The medic nodded and Paolo climbed on board.
Alex said, “May I speak to her for a moment?”
“Only a moment,” the medic said, as Mani inserted an IV into her arm.
Alex brushed her hair back. Valeria tried to focus on his face and she reached for his hand.
“Beautiful, I’m going to leave you with Mani. I need to get another ride, but I’ll be there with you again as soon as possible.”
Valeria shook her head, but an oxygen mask was over her face. “Don’t leave me.”
Alex had tears in his eyes. “It won’t be for very long. And you are in the very best hands.”
He choked as he walked off the helicopter. Paolo gazed at him before turning to play the role of the dutiful husband.
Daphne glanced at Alex and saw the red stain on his polo shirt. “Alex, let me at least—” She started to wipe the blood from a scrape on his face.
Alex pulled away. “I need to get to Morgana! Someone has to get me a plane or a chopper. I need it now!”
Daphne put her hand on Alex. “Please don’t be angry.”
Alex glared at her. He was very close to accusing her of working with Paolo so that they both got what they wanted. But in 3,000 years, he had never been cruel to her and he didn’t want to start now. “Daph…I…just…” he sighed and then walked away, but she followed.
“Paolo sent a ride for us. We aren’t totally self-centered,” Daphne said.
Camille was consoling the man who had hit their car. He told her that he had been cleaning Paolo’s pool and then, the next thing he knew, he almost killed a pregnant lady. Alex paced nervously until he heard the second chopper.
∞
A few hours later, the second helicopter landed on the front lawn of the main house at Morgana, carrying Alex, Camille, and Caleb. Daphne had insisted that Camille take her place and that she would drive Paolo’s car to Morgana.